The Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), which is controlled by Russian Aluminium (RUSAL), today fired 61 striking workers and its management refused to attend a scheduled conciliation meeting at the Department of Labour.

It was after the meeting that Sheldon Thomas, a representative of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) revealed that the workers were dismissed.

Thomas explained that a notice was issued to the workers identifying the 61 workers who were dismissed with immediate effect. He also said over 100 workers are on strike. Continue reading →

When I was in primary school, there was a girl who I heard some Indo-Guyanese boys call the ugliest girl in school. She didn’t have many friends, and she’d get teased a lot, about how dark her skin was. At the time, I called it racism, but I wasn’t quite sure that was the correct term. I started to explore the concept that, maybe, racism was not as one-dimensional as the difference between black and white.

Race is a social construct determined by ancestry, hair type, colour of eyes and skin, stature and other physical attributes. Racism occurs when there is a system of disadvantage based on those racial differences. Colourism, however, occurs when the discrimination is based on complexion. Though it intersects with racism, it’s not the same. Continue reading →

Lethem has been earmarked as the next major transport hub in the country, and according to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, the money has already been allocated for the project.

Speaking at a public meeting at the Amerindian Hostel in Lethem, Region Nine on Friday evening, Minister Patterson said the facility will bear similarity to the Eugene Correia International Airport at Ogle. Continue reading →

Undoubtedly, the opposition is winning the media war against the government. Supporters are using social media to such good effect that anything posted suddenly becomes fact. Supposedly, intelligent people are falling for the contents of the post.

Just Friday, I got a call from a woman who was so disgruntled that she found fault with just about everything that the government has done or has not done. The roads in the new Diamond Housing Scheme are deplorable. The condition is being blamed on the government.

But that is small potatoes to the reason she called. The conversation began with a criticism of Kaieteur News for not publishing something that “is all over the media.” This “something” is that the sons of two government Ministers were arrested for shooting Brian O’Toole. Continue reading →

Guyana is not a mature democracy. After more than 50 years of independence, we have not reached the point where our political, partisan and ideological disagreements and conflicts are played out within the context of the rule of law, constitutional supremacy and protection of civil rights and liberties.

While factors such as the hyper authoritarian instincts of leaders thrown up by the political culture, the personalization of power and the paramountcy of the party are key to that outcome, it is our ethnic competition that ultimately stands in the way democratic maturity. It is not that democratic instincts do not exist in our political culture, but ultimately it is the authoritarian instinct that always wins.

Venezuela’s slide from top of the heap to a virtual bit player in the oil market is a slow-motion car crash. Production sank progressively from 2.6 million barrels per day (b/d) a decade ago, when it was third in OPEC behind only Saudi Arabia and Iran, to 2.0 million b/d by Q3 2017. Decline since has been precipitous – today it’s just 1.1 million b/d.

The market has shrugged off the loss, even with the absence of sanctioned Iranian oil. Venezuela’s heavy barrels have been largely displaced by supplies from Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.

Brampton, Ontario. Canada – The frantic search for an 11-year-old girl allegedly abducted by her father on her birthday, Thursday, ended in tragedy after the child was found dead inside a Brampton home.

Roopesh Rajkumar, 41, said to be Guyanese, was taken into custody near Orillia in connection with the death of his daughter Riya — whose abduction was the subject of a late-night Amber Alert.

He has since been transferred to a Toronto trauma centre to be treated for self-inflicted wounds, according to a source. Continue reading →

The curtains came down on the five-acts of BANKS DIH Ltd. Annual Shareholders Meetings at New Amsterdam on Sunday February 3rd., and as usual, there were some “Showers of Blessings” on the proceedings. It was another successful year for what has been referred to as “The Winning Team”; BANKS DIH Ltd. The five ‘acts’ commenced with the large Shareholders Annual Meeting at Thirst Park in Georgetown on Saturday January 26, 2019.

Before that meeting commenced, a pleasant mood was set for Shareholders as they arrived, with music by the Guyana Police Force Band under the Direction of Bandmaster Superintendent Charmaine Stuart. The music was of standard compositions and included Guyanese Folk and Patriotic songs such as “Beautiful Guyana” by Hilton Hemerding. Continue reading →